Chapter 1
The village stood on a slight incline on the island, just on the edge of the shoreline. It was a place for children to come home, complete their school work and domestic drudgery to be rewarded with the ageless sensation of stepping down the steps of their backdoor and receiving a face full of the ocean breeze. The place where many sand castle competitions were held and taken to the extreme, causing rivalries between formed teams and clans, all fighting for an ordinary flowered laurel— which just about anyone in the town could make— and the recognition and gloating rights. This was a place with prideful inhabitants with such a gorgeous piece of land for which they could their home, and this tropical domain— Full Moon Island— was home to a boy by the name of Javier Galcerón. Full Moon was all he knew. Every inch of it. He was lucky enough to have the convenience of a great childhood and a loving father and friends to care about, but there are times where you can’t stay somewhere forever and live the intensely soporific life some would say to be the “Normal way of living” or “A perfect life.” It was not a way Javi wanted to live surely. There was only so much he could explore on his tiny homeland.
Bright and early on a Saturday morning, just as the sun crept its way up the sky and the salty blue waves crashed ever so gently against the beaches of the island, Javi and his father made their way down to the beach. With card in hand, Javi looked down to read it. The formal invitation to attend the high-end Seventh Academies of Olly Holm Island to find your passion, follow your dreams, and be the next leaders of the generation. The last bit of their motto Javi didn’t pay much attention to. As much as he loved Full Moon Island, he just wanted to be somewhere new. To explore one of the profound mainland islands. He always heard from his father that they lived there once until Javi was a year old, then moved, but who really remembers what they had seen or known when they were at the tender age of one? On the backside of the invitation were the list of studies and academies they offered and a few occupations, one of which Javi set his mind on; Faction Leader. Javi happened to be one of the thousands of children chosen by the supreme council to attend their schools. He wondered if it was all at random, or if students were selected by performance in education; which would be logical because he was top of his class.
He glanced up from his reading and noticed they were approaching the docks where a beautiful, mahogany, yet massive ship in front of him stood rocking gently in the waters. The large white sails attached to the masts had begun their dance in the wind to greet the boarding passengers, the bowsprit stuck out in its glory and the grand gold plating lined the sides of the ship, waiting to set sail. He looked at his father, a young man with curly black hair securely hidden under the intricate pirate’s hat he wore.
“How long is this trip going to be?” Javi asked, stuffing the invitation card back in his suitcase.
“It may take a while,” His father replied, “Maybe about thirty days, forty at most.”
“A month? That sounds like an eternity,” said Javi.
“Well, once you’ve begun your journey, it feels like time spread its wings and soared to the end of infinity just in a matter of seconds.”
The sea exhaled its warm breath of air and Javi had a mouthful of hair in the short gust of wind. He never understood the meaning by his father’s tropes, let alone tried to understand.
“I’m going to miss this place,” He said, “I don’t know if we’ll ever be back.”
“I’m sure you’ll be back. There’s no resisting something as beautiful as this island.” His father said.
Their steps became more evident as the reached the docks. It was probably the sunniest day Full Moon has ever seen, and it was only the perfect occasion for the last of the children to set off to schooling— which, by the looks of it, was only Javi. The kids who stayed were either too young or needed to help in the village. Javi waved to them lined up on the beach and he received many in return which made him smile. His father’s hand, fairly light in complexion guided him along. The classic deep blue coat lined with gold trimming he was wearing, and beige twill pants that tucked nicely at his ankles within his black leather boots. He had a sense of adventure and a sense of appearance. Javi always believed he got his fashion prowess from his father. Maybe it’s in the Galcerón genes? He thought. His father always told him that his grandmother was a famous designer for top-notch kings, queens, and to put it short, people with money. Javi snapped out of his daydreaming as someone took his singular suitcase from his hands. They were now on board and the solid wooden boards under Javi’s feet was unlike anything he’d ever felt and the smell reeked of the hundreds-year-old wood that absorbed the stench of the salted waters.
“That all ye bringin’?” His father’s voice erupted and changed as if he was a new person as soon as he stepped foot on the boat.
“Yeah, I’d thought I didn’t need much since I was just going away for school.” Javi sighed fixing his wrinkled tunic. He stood bored, unsure of what to do or what he could do. He was ready to work. It’d been his dream for the longest time to be onboard a ship, fill the cannons, adjust the sails, and climb up the crow’s nest to be the one to look long distances and shout “Land Ahoy!”— those of which he couldn’t do at the time being. His father rummaged through his pockets, frantically checking each one multiple times to then stop with a puzzled look on his face.
“I think I’ve forgotten my map,” he finally said, “Run to the house and get it for me, will ya? It should be on the dining table.”
Javi assured his father with a nod. The ship would depart in only just twenty minutes, so the mission was critical, although he knew they wouldn’t leave without him, Javi took it upon himself to treat it seriously. He sprinted down the beach, struggling to lift his heavy boots out of the sand with every movement, jumping over rocks and small shrubs, and made his way towards the village, just half a mile away. This reminded him of the timed obstacle courses he’d complete with his friends Once he surpassed the natural ground and onto the stoned roads, he felt a chill run down his spine. The town was quiet and deserted; everyone gathered at the beach to say their farewells. The thing about where Javi lived was that it rested on a slight incline, almost a cliff situation, and it was at the end of the village. His running didn’t cease. He dodged torch posts, made his way around neighbors’ cats and reached his home standing in all of its glory.
The door was locked. There was a riddle his dad told him that would reveal the spare key to the house.
“You walk with socks to open the locks.”
He repeated it in his head several times. With every step on the porch, the boards creaked. He slipped off his boots and walked around the porch hastily until one single board cawed in response to contact. He lifted the board with ease and stuck to the backside of it was a key.
He turned the key into the lock, mumbling the riddle with pride. As the door swung open, the familiar smell bombarded him with a greeting as he stepped in. The cadet blue walls were always in contrast with the burnt umber hardwood flooring, but they worked together in a way where you could ignore the absurdity of it. He stopped at the kitchen table where he noticed the usual stacks of papers he never bothered to pick up and read. If there’s anyone I know that loves to conserve paper, it was definitely him. He thought. He held one in his hand and took a quick glance at it to find the letter stating something about him not receiving money for his decision and him putting many lives at risk. Many of the papers were more letters from different writers. When out at the entrance of the home there arose a staccato of knocks, Javi sprang from the table and bolted for his father’s room down the hall. Who could it be? Everyone should’ve been down at the docks wishing their blessings for a safe journey. If there were some people who stayed behind, I’m sure they wouldn’t be barging their way into a neighbor’s home. He thought. He hid behind the bedroom door, leaving a small crack in the frame to have any advantage of who and where the intruder was. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see much. Only whatever could fit through the rectangular view of the door, but the footsteps against the wooden floors indicated that they were in the home. He heard them walking around, pausing frequently. He could imagine the wicked look on their face browsing their options on what to steal. They drew closer until he could see their shoes in the living room and his eyes traveled from the feet up to reveal a man looking around and picking up random objects laid across side tables and on chairs.
Javi’s father always kept a weapon in each room somewhere, hidden, in case of any emergency. Anything his father placed that was hidden was never set in an obvious place, according to the key to the house. He thought of the riddle his father told him for his room. He sure did thoroughly enjoy riddles and puzzles, maybe as much as a great adventure, that Javi had gotten sick of them at one point, but he learned to live with his father’s rambling and interests. He lifted one of the paintings from off of the wall and nicely in disguise behind it was a small compartment with a small silver dagger. In the trance of admiring the shiny blade, Javi wielded it in his right hand. The feeling of power came over him and he was ready for anything coming his way, but as he began to leave, he experienced a feeling of panic and anxiety as if eyes were distantly tearing down his walls of confidence slowly. He turned around, unaware of the man who stood just at the door was watching him. Javi held the blade in front of him, daring to use it with any sudden movements, but they were both frozen, in silence, eyes locked on the other’s.
